System and Method for Facilitating Communication Between a Cmts and an Application Server in a Cable Network

1. A system for facilitating communication between a cable modem termination system (CMTS) and a voice over IP (VoIP) application server in a cable network comprising: a VoIP enabled-customer premises equipment (CPE) connected to the cable network via a cable modem (CM), wherein the CM comprises subscriber-identifying information; and the CMTS comprising a CMTS interface and CMTS-identifying information, wherein the CMTS comprises instructions for: receiving an IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server from an application server datastore; receiving at the CMTS interface a packet from the VoIP-enabled CPE, wherein the packet comprises a header comprising a destination IP address-port number tuple; determining when the destination IP address-port number tuple of the packet matches an IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server; and when the destination IP address-port number tuple of the packet matches the IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server, then: modifying the header of the packet by adding the CMTS-identifying information and the subscriber-identifying information; and sending the modified packet to the destination IP address-port number tuple.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the VoIP-enabled CPE is selected from the group consisting of a computer, a media terminal adapter, a VoIP-enabled telephone, a VoIP gateway, and a multimedia terminal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein subscriber-identifying information comprises a CM MAC address and a CM IP address.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the CMTS-identifying information comprises an IP address of the CMTS interface.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the CMTS-identifying information comprises a gateway interface address (giaddr) of the CMTS.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the CMTS further comprises instructions for: when the destination IP address-port number tuple of the packet matches the IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server, then determining whether a subscriber associated with the subscriber-identifying information is qualified to communicate with the VoIP application server; when the subscriber is not qualified to communicate with the VoIP application server, then rejecting the packet; and when the subscriber is qualified to communicate with the VoIP application server, then: modifying the header of the packet by adding the CMTS-identifying information and the subscriber-identifying information; and sending the modified packet to the destination IP address-port number tuple.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the instruction for determining whether the subscriber is qualified to communicate with the VoIP application server comprises determining whether the subscriber has subscribed to a VoIP service.

8. A method for facilitating communication between a cable modem termination system (CMTS) and a voice over IP (VoIP) application server in a cable network: receiving at the CMTS an address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server from an application server datastore, wherein the CMTS comprises CMTS-identifying information; receiving at a CMTS interface a packet from a VoIP-enabled customer premises equipment (CPE) via a cable modem, wherein the packet comprises a header comprising a destination IP address-port number tuple and wherein the cable modem comprises subscriber-identifying information; determining, using the CMTS, when the destination IP address-port number tuple of the packet matches an IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server; and when the destination IP address-port number tuple of the packet matches the IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server, then: modifying, using the CMTS, the header of the packet by adding the CMTS-identifying information and the subscriber-identifying information; and sending the modified packet to the destination IP address-port number tuple.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the VoIP-enabled CPE is selected from the group consisting of a computer, a media terminal adapter, a VoIP-enabled telephone, a VoIP gateway, and a multimedia terminal.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein subscriber-identifying information comprises a CM MAC address and a CM IP address.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the CMTS-identifying information comprises an IP address of the CMTS interface.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the CMTS-identifying information comprises a gateway interface address (giaddr) of the CMTS.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising: when the destination IP address-port number tuple of the packet matches the IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server, then determining, using the CMTS, whether a subscriber associated with the subscriber-identifying information is qualified to communicate with the VoIP application server; when the subscriber is not qualified to communicate with the VoIP application server, then rejecting the packet; and when the subscriber is qualified to communicate with the VoIP application server, then: modifying, using the CMTS, the header of the packet by adding the CMTS-identifying information and the subscriber-identifying information; and sending the modified packet to the destination IP address-port number tuple.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining whether the subscriber is qualified to communicate with the VoIP application server comprises determining whether the subscriber has subscribed to a VoIP service.

15. A system for facilitating communication between a cable modem termination system (CMTS) and a voice over IP (VoIP) application server over a cable network comprising: a voice-enabled customer premises equipment (CPE) connected to the cable network via a cable modem, wherein the cable modem comprises subscriber-identifying information; a trusted proxy server comprising proxy-identifying information; the CMTS comprising a CMTS interface and instructions for: receiving an IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server from an application server datastore; receiving at the CMTS interface a packet from the VoIP-enabled CPE, wherein the packet comprises a header comprising a destination IP address-port number tuple; determining when the destination IP address-port number tuple of the packet matches the IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server; when the destination IP address-port number tuple of the packet matches the IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server, then: modifying the header of the packet by adding the proxy-identifying information and the subscriber-identifying information; and sending the modified packet to the destination IP address-port number tuple.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the VoIP-enabled CPE is selected from the group consisting of a computer, a media terminal adapter, a VoIP-enabled telephone, a VoIP gateway, and a multimedia terminal.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the proxy-identifying information comprises an IP address of the trusted proxy server.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the subscriber-identifying information comprises a MAC address token representing the MAC address of the cable modem, and an IP address token representing the IP address of the cable modem.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the MAC address token is selected from the group consisting of ciphertext produced by applying an encryption algorithm to the CM MAC address, a hash value produced by applying a hash algorithm to the CM MAC address, and a database location where the CM MAC address is stored.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the IP address token is selected from the group consisting of ciphertext produced by applying an encryption algorithm to the CM IP address, a hash value produced by applying a hash algorithm to the CM IP address, and a database location where the CM IP address is stored.

21. The system of claim 15 , wherein the CMTS further comprises instructions for: when the destination IP address-port number tuple of the packet matches the IP address-port number tuple of a targeted application server, then determining, using the CMTS, whether a subscriber associated with the subscriber-identifying information is qualified to communicate with the target; when the subscriber is not qualified to communicate with the VoIP application server, then rejecting the packet; and when the subscriber is qualified to communicate with the VoIP application server, then: modifying, using the CMTS, the header of the packet by adding the proxy-identifying information and the subscriber-identifying information; and sending the modified packet to the destination IP address-port number tuple.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the instruction for determining whether the subscriber is qualified to communicate with the VoIP application server comprises determining whether the subscriber has subscribed to a VoIP service.

23. A method for facilitating communication between a cable modem termination system (CMTS) and a voice over IP (VoIP) application server over a cable network comprising: receiving at the CMTS an address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server from an application server datastore, wherein the CMTS comprises CMTS-identifying information; receiving at a CMTS interface a packet from a VoIP-enabled customer premises equipment (CPE) via a cable modem, wherein the packet comprises a header comprising a destination IP address-port number tuple and wherein the cable modem comprises subscriber-identifying information; determining, using the CMTS, when the destination IP address-port number tuple of the packet matches an IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server; when the destination IP address-port number tuple of the packet matches the IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server, then: modifying, using the CMTS, the header of the packet by adding proxy-identifying information of a trusted proxy server and the subscriber-identifying information; and sending the modified packet to the destination IP address-port number tuple.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the VoIP-enabled CPE is selected from the group consisting of a computer, a media terminal adapter, a VoIP-enabled telephone, a VoIP gateway, and a multimedia terminal.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the proxy-identifying information comprises an IP address of the trusted proxy server.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the subscriber-identifying information comprises a MAC address token representing the MAC address of the cable modem and an IP address token representing the IP address of the cable modem.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the MAC address token is selected from the group consisting of ciphertext produced by applying an encryption algorithm to the CM MAC address, a hash value produced by applying a hash algorithm to the CM MAC address, and a database location where the CM MAC address is stored.

28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the IP address token is selected from the group consisting of ciphertext produced by applying an encryption algorithm to the CM IP address, a hash value produced by applying a hash algorithm to the CM IP address, and a database location where the CM IP address is stored.

29. A system for facilitating communication between a network access node and a voice over IP (VoIP) application server over a network comprising: a VoIP enabled-customer premises equipment (CPE) connected to the network via a subscriber access device, wherein the subscriber access device comprises subscriber-identifying information; and the network access node comprising an interface and node-identifying information, wherein the network access node comprises instructions for: receiving an IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server from an application server datastore; receiving at the node interface a packet from the VoIP-enabled CPE, wherein the packet comprises a header comprising a destination IP address-port number tuple; determining when the destination IP address-port number tuple of the packet matches an IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server; and when the destination IP address-port number tuple of the packet matches the IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server, then: modifying the header of the packet by adding the node-identifying information and the subscriber-identifying information; and sending the modified packet to the destination IP address-port number tuple.

30. A method for facilitating communication between a network access node and a voice over IP (VoIP) application server over a network comprising: receiving at the network access node an address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server from an application server datastore, wherein the network access node comprises node-identifying information; receiving at a node interface a packet from a VoIP-enabled customer premises equipment (CPE) via a subscriber access device, wherein the packet comprises a header comprising a destination IP address-port number tuple and wherein the subscriber access device comprises subscriber-identifying information; determining, using the network access node, when the destination IP address-port number tuple of the packet matches an IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server; when the destination IP address-port number tuple of the packet matches the IP address-port number tuple of the VoIP application server, then: modifying, using the network access node, the header of the packet by adding node indentifying information and the subscriber-identifying information; and sending the modified packet to the destination IP address-port number tuple.